For peak performance, school-age children need more than a healthy diet and exercise. They also need plenty of sleep.
A new study finds that elementary school kids who get less than nine hours of sleep each night show significant differences in some brain regions responsible for memory, intelligence and well-being compared to those who get the advised nine to 12 hours’ sleep.
“We found that children who had insufficient sleep, less than nine hours per night, at the beginning of the study had less grey matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory and inhibition control compared to those with healthy sleep habits,” said study co-author Ze Wang. He is a professor of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in Baltimore….